Molding apparatus, molding method, and method for manufacturing a product

Abstract

A molding apparatus configured to mold a cured object by bringing a mold into contact with a curable composition on a processing target substrate and curing the curable composition with the mold in contact therewith includes a priming unit configured to perform processing for applying a mold release agent onto a surface of the mold that contacts the curable composition, the priming unit being configured to apply the mold release agent onto the mold by placing a curable composition containing the mold release agent on a priming substrate, curing the curable composition while the curable composition and the mold in contact with each other, and separating the mold and the cured curable composition. The molding apparatus further includes a recovery unit configured to perform a recovery processing to recover a state of a surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A molding method for molding a cured object by bringing a mold into contact with a curable composition on a processing target substrate and curing the curable composition with the mold in contact therewith, the molding method comprising:
 carrying out priming processing for applying a mold release agent onto a surface of the mold that contacts the curable composition,   the priming including applying the mold release agent onto the mold by placing a curable composition containing the mold release agent on a priming substrate, bringing this curable composition and the mold into contact with each other, curing the curable composition in this contact state, and separating the mold and the cured object; and   recovering a state of a surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed.   
     
     
         2 . The molding method according to  claim 1 , wherein the recovering includes heating the priming substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The molding method according to  claim 2 , wherein the priming substrate is heated using heated gas. 
     
     
         4 . A method for manufacturing a product, the method comprising:
 molding the curable composition on the substrate using a molding apparatus configured to mold a cured object by bringing a mold into contact with a curable composition on a processing target substrate and curing the curable composition with the mold in contact therewith, the molding apparatus including:
 a priming unit configured to perform processing for applying a mold release agent onto a surface of the mold that contacts the curable composition, 
 the priming unit being configured to apply the mold release agent onto the mold by placing a curable composition containing the mold release agent on a priming substrate, curing the curable composition while the curable composition and the mold are in contact with each other, and separating the mold and the cured curable composition, and 
 a recovery unit including a temperature adjustment unit to heat the priming substrate and configured to perform a recovery processing to recover a state of a surface of the priming substrate on which the curable composition is placed; 
   processing the substrate including the molded curable composition; and   acquiring the product from the processed substrate.   
     
     
         5 . A method for manufacturing a product, the method comprising:
 molding the curable composition on the substrate using the molding method according to  claim 1 ;   processing the substrate including the molded curable composition; and   acquiring the product from the processed substrate.